Display device.



0. F. ONKEN.

DISPLAY DEVICE. 11121110111011 111.111) JUNE 8, 1911.

1,007,481 Patented Oct. 31, 1911. 7

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OQCAR F. ONKEN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

DISPLAY DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR F. ONKEN, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Cincinnati, county of Hamilton, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display'Devices; and I do declare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description of the invention, at tention being called to the drawing which accompanies this application and forms a part thereof.

This invent-ion relates to devices suitable for use in stores and show-windows where thley serve to support articles displayed for sa e.

The device is substantially in form of a shelf and the object is to support the same in a certain manner permitting adjustment of it to various'positions to suit requirements so that articles to be exhibited may be displayed to the best advantage.

The invention consists of the construction hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 shows an end-view of the shelf supported in horizontal position. Fig. 2, shows in side-view the shelf adjusted to inclined position and also in dotted lines adjusted to vertical position. Fig. 3, shows a rear-view of the shelf in the vertical position shown in dotted lines in the preceding figure. Fig. 4, shows the position of the shelf changed by rotation of the same on the connection to its support and by tilting it with reference to the support, Fig. 5, shows a part of an underside view of the shelf. Fig. 6, shows a similar view with one of the parts removed. Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of this removed part. Fig. 8, in part of an underside view shows a modified construction.

Letter A indicates the shelf, made preferably of a slab of wood of limited thickness and of a size to suit the articles to be sup ported on it. It may be oblong, polygonal, circular or of any other suitable shape. De vices exhibited on the shelf while this latter is in inclined or vertical position may be held from sliding off by nails, hooks or other fastening means.

B indicates the support of the shelf. It may be arranged in vertical position in form of a post, in which case it is provided with a base C. Or it may be in form of an armor bracket and attached in a horizontal posi- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 8, 1911.

Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

Serial No. 631,879.

tion. The connection of the shelf to this support is at the underside of the shelf to the end of the support and is in a manner to permit the shelf to be tilted on said support to any angle between horizontal and vertical positions. For such purpose a flat lug 11 is used which projects from the underside of the shelf and is adapted to occupy a narrow notch I) provided in the support and extending from the end thereof inwardly. A clamping screw 12 is seated in this end of the support so as to traverse the notch therein and to be capable of engaging lug 11 in case the same occupies said notch. The preferable mode of engagement is by drawing the parts of the support which contain notch 5 between them toward each other to cause them to impinge upon lug 11. This latter is also notched as shown at 13, permitting it to seat upon the screw, the latter thus becoming a pivotal support upon which the shelf may be tilted to various angles as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The adjusted angular position is held by the tightening of screw 12. In addition to this there is another adjustment which permits the shelf to be moved and shifted edgewise in the direction of its plane without disturbing the angular adjustment on its support as before described. Thus for instance while retaining an angular position as shown in Fig. 2, the shelf may be shifted ina manner to occupy a position shown in Fig. 4. This is made possible by having the connection of lug 11 to shelf A adjustable instead of rigid. For such purpose a base-plate 14 is provided and held to the underside of the shelf with a limited space between the two. A slot 15 is provided in this base-plate to receive lug 11 and flanges 16 project from the inner edge of this latter and are arranged to oocupy the space between said base-plate and the underside of shelf A. While said flanges may move in this space between base-plate and shelf, they are nevertheless closely fitted into said space so as to prevent one ofthe engaged parts from slipping on the other one. By means of this adjustment the shelf may be moved edgewise on lug 11 as shown in Fig. 8, also as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, and when in position on support B, the shelf may thus be moved up or down with reference to said support without disturbing its particular angular position thereon. By making this baseplate 14 circular, as best shown in Figs. 3,

l, 5 and 6 and by seating it in a socket l7, shelf A .may also be rotated edge'wise and in its own plane on lug 11 all without chang ing the angle of its inclination. Such a position is shown in Fig. 4C. This socket is contained in a plate 18 whereby it is attached to the underside of shelf A and part of this plate is cut out as shown at 19, so as not to interfere with the adjustment previously described and as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. It will be seen that shelf A may be adjusted by tilting it on its support to any angular position and it may also be adjusted edge-wise in this angular posi tion. It may be quickly taken off from its support for which purpose it is merely necessary to ease clamping-screw 12, no removal of it being required. The device is also constructed with a view to permit the shelves to be readily and compactly packed to ship for instance. This is rendered possible by making lug 11 removable and is done by having slots 15 open end-wise to permit the flanges of lug 11 to pass out. To facilitate insert-ion of these flanges, the edge of plate 14 on opposite sides at the open end of slot 15, may be turned up as shown at 20 in Figs.

1 and 6, and to prevent these up-turned parts from interfering with the rotation of the plate a notch 21 is formed in which they are located as shown in Fig. 6 and which prevents them from contacting With the socket-forming part of plate 18.

Having described my invention, I claim as new:

1. In a display-device, the combination of a shelf, a socket on one side thereof, a rotary base-plate held in said socket, a lug on said base-plate, a support for the shelf and means to secure the lug on the shelf to this support.

2. In a displaydevice, the combination of an exhibitsupporting shelf provided with a base-plate on its underside, a flanged lug notched edgewise slidably fitted to this baseplate so as to depend therefrom and means fitted to occupy the notch in the lug and serving to sustain the same.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affiX my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

OSCAR F. ONKEN.

Witnesses C. SPENGEL, T. LE BEAU.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

